REAL-LIFE MAKEOVER

Combining colour and pattern gave this workspace the wow factor

What did you want to achieve? I was keen to create a dedicated workspace that was separate from the rest of the house – somewhere I could close the door on at the end of the day so work wouldn’t encroach on home life. This room would have made an ideal third bedroom, but as there are just two of us, it was logical to transform it into a dedicated office space.

Did you need to change much?

Everything! Walls, floor coverings, window... and there was a cupboard housing the hot water tank where the bookcase is now. The whole house needed refurbishment when we bought it. Slowly, we updated it all, and this was the last room to do.

Priorities and must-haves?

There were two things I considered essential: built-in storage and a ceiling-height cork board. Every home office needs them! The bookcase and shelves offer a lot more storage than freestanding options, and if you design them according to your needs, it’s quite a simple job for a joiner to make them. Having a cork board all the way up to the ceiling makes the room feel taller and frames the working area beautifully. And it’s a practical place to pin all your bits and pieces.

What inspired the decor?

As an interiors photographer I get to see and photograph incredible homes and work with talented interior designers, so I’m never short of ideas. The room is a tale of two halves – the desk side has a pale, fairly neutral feel that’s easy on the eye and creates an air of calm. Turn around and you’re met with a dark, dramatic wall painted in Farrow & Ball’s Railings, a bluey-black that is softer than you’d imagine. The contrast between the light and dark is really effective.

How well does it work as an office?

This is my dream space. All my work equipment is in one place, and having a comfortable armchair in there is an incentive to take short breaks and clear my head – and even close my eyes for a few minutes every now and then!

OUR SOURCEBOOK Walls in Strong White and Railings emulsion, Farrow & Ball farrow-ball.com Cork tiles £22/1.98m, corkstore24.co.uk Custom-built cupboard, £600. Lisabo desk, £129, Ikea ikea.com Wish chair, £149, Cult Furniture cultfurniture.com Lounge chair, £350, Do South do-south.com Rug, £130, Maisons du Monde maisonsdumonde.com Sisal flooring, £49.99/sq m, Carpetright carpetright.co.uk Blinds, £36, Blinds Direct blindsdirect.co.uk

CHILL-OUT CORNER A retro armchair is perfect for taking screen breaks in style

MONOCHROME SCHEME Dark walls provide a dramatic backdrop for striking artwork

‘The pink-papered walls of this room at the rear of the house needed re-plastering, and the red carpet also had to go. It was the ideal space for the home office I’d always wanted as it’s quiet, a good size and filled with light.’

Veronica Rodriguez, an interiors photographer, lives in an Edwardian terraced house in Wimbledon with her husband Darren Jones, a forensic photographer

GREENERY Tall plants add warmth, homeliness and a touch of drama CORK PINBOARD Style meets function: a tactile way to display anything from postcards to work documents WORK AREA A slim desk looks neat and modern, making the most of the room available